The Alices' Diaries
by flor-desu
Summary: NxMxR Narumi gives the class the assignment of writing on a diary. Natsume and Mikan don't want to accept their feelings for each other. And now Ruka wants to come clean about his feelings for her. Find out what happens as told by the alices' themselves..
1. The not so Dreaded Assingment

**The Alices' Diaries.**

**A/N:** Alright, this is my very first fanfic. So I don't know if it'll be any good but, you know after reading so many fics I thought I should write one too. So I hope you like it and err R&R D.

I was inspired to write this story by Dahee Fanel, after reading her Escaflowne fic "The Charity Project" I just felt like I had to write too. Since it was such a good idea and fic I had to write like this. I just thought I should say it that's all. Okay here goes nothing.

-"Things written like this are spoken out loud"

_-'And like this it's what they are thinking' _

**Disclaimer:** I do NOT own Gakuen Alice, never did and probably never will, so there!

**Summary:** NxM. Narumi-sensei gives the class a weird assignment. They have to keep a diary, or a journal (so as not to make it sound so err girly) what does Natsume write? What does Mikan write? More importantly what do they write about each other? Do they really write what they feel or do they try to lie to themselves? And what would happen if he read her diary or vice versa?

**Chapter 1.**** The (not so) Dreaded Assignment.**

"I'm not doing this Naru." said the boy plainly, turning his head back to the manga he'd been reading.

"You all have to do it. No exceptions are we clear _Natsume-kun_?" said the blonde teacher Narumi, handing a notebook to the crimson eyed 15 year-old boy.

"Hmph. Why would I do such a girly thing? Guys don't write on diaries _Naru_, unless they are gay." He said glaring at Narumi. '_I bet he has one…'_He smiled inwardly.

"Well then the more reason for _**YOU**_ to have one…" (emphasizing the word _**YOU**_) said the brunette sitting next to him as-a-matter-of-factly, while putting a hand under her chin and resting her head on it.

The classroom suddenly became silent, and everyone (except Hotaru) turned to look (or more like stare) at Mikan whose eyes widened in utter shock when she felt the stabbing looks of her classmates.

"Di- did I just s- say that ou- out lo- loud?" she asked after a while, the look on her face still not changing, but everyone could tell by her voice that even she was completely astonished that she had said that. The atmosphere in the classroom started heating up.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN POLKA-DOTS?! _YOU_ ARE CALLING _ME_ GAY NOW?!" he shouted as he curled his hand into a fist and held it in front of her face while holding her collar with the other hand.

"N- no…" she said nervously. "I-I mean it was just a joke, you don't have to take it so seri-…"

She was cut off by the teacher. "Anyway Natsume-kun you have to do it, no excuses allowed." He handed out the rest of the notebooks to the students. "You can write in it whatever you feel like writing, but you have to use the _kanji _and grammar we've learned in class. Okay then that's it for today class, I'll be leaving now. _Adieu!"_ He said and left the classroom.

"Natsume let her go already." said his best friend Ruka.

"Tchk, whatever…" he let go of her and stood up. "Let's go Ruka."

Everyone left the classroom and went their separate ways. Mikan had a very big smile on her face; she was really excited about their assignment, she couldn't wait to start writing on her diary.

Natsume just glared at her and clicked his tongue. '_baka__'_ he thought as he kept on walking.

* * *

**(Mikan****'s diary)**

_March 23_

_**4:30 p.m**_

Dear Diary,

So today is the first entry!. This assignment is so exciting! I didn't want to go back to my room to write cause its spring and I wanted to see the sakura blossoms, so right now I'm sitting under a tree in the academy. Since we aren't allowed to leave under any circumstances I just have to make the best of it, right?

I don't really know what to write about, so I'll start by introducing myself! HI! My name is Sakura Mikan, I'm 15 years old and my birthday is on January 1st. I have the Nullification Alice, I'm currently a three-star, and I've been attending Alice Gakuen for five years now, I first came here for my best friend Hotaru and somehow Narumi-sensei got me enrolled. On my five years here I've made a lot of good friends like IInchou (Toobita Yuu), Anna-chan, Nonoko-chan, Ruka-pyon, Kokoroyomi-kun, Permy (Shouda Sumire), and also my _supposed_ worst enemy and partner, the infuriating Hyuuga Natsume.

He's just so mean! And a pervert! He's always looking at my underwear and calling me names like polka-dots, or strawberry-pattern or ugly! AGHHH HE MAKES ME SO MAD! And he has the fire Alice so every time we fight he sets my hair on fire! Of course I've learnt to nullify it now, BUT STILL!

I mean today I accidentally said he was gay, but I didn't mean to! It just slipped my mouth; it was just a joke anyway! He would have punched me if Narumi-sensei hadn't stopped him! He didn't have to be so mad! It's not like he's really gay or anything so, what does it matter?

**…**Right?

_**4:55 p.m**_

**Oh God I hope he isn****'t gay!**

_**5:**__**15 p.m**_

OH NO! What the hell was I thinking! Like I could care less if he's gay or not… I mean I'm not interested in him or anything!

_**5:22 p.m**_

Just forget that last entry! I must be going out of my mind!

* * *

**(Natsume's**** diary… ****errr**** journal…)**

_March 23_

_**10:**__**22 p.m**_

This assignment is stupid and I'm not doing it…

Screw you and your stupid assignments Naru.

* * *

**A/N: **So that's the end of chapter 1. Rather short but I just want to see how it goes. I hope you guys like the idea. If you have anything to say about it feel free to do so, R&R even if it's just to say it's crap or whatever. I'll write another chapter as soon as I can... And I have all this free time cause I'm on vacation and all D ... Hope you liked it. 

Okay so happy holydays minna-san!


	2. Sunday Morning According to HER

**A/N:** So I overcame my laziness and brought myself to write chapter 2. And while writing it I started to wonder whether or not I should also write some of the other diaries, like Hotaru's or Ruka's. I don't really like side-stories so I don't know if I should do it. I'd like to know what the readers think. Anyway without further delay here's chapter 2… I hope you like it. R&R pretty please.

**Disclaimer:** sigh NO I don't own Gakuen Alice, although you already know that.

Like before…

-"Things written like this are spoken out loud"

-'_And like this it's what they are thinking'_

**Chapter 2.**** Sunday Morning According to HER**

It was a very quiet morning in Alice Gakuen. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, and the sakura blossoms were flying around in all directions. The wind blew gently through the trees, creating a very relaxing atmosphere. All of the students were still sleeping (considering it was Sunday, their only day off of school) All of them but two, Natsume and Mikan, who where standing outside, under a big sakura tree.

Yup, just a normal, peaceful Sunday morning in Alice Gaku-

"NATSUME YOU HENTAI! BAKA BAKA! AHO! BOKE BOKE BOKEEEE!!!!!" (A/N: Just insults mainly meaning idiot, and pervert) The ground and the trees shook, it was as if a volcano was about to erupt.

(I guess no one was sleeping anymore after that, so you can just forget about the peaceful part now…)

The birds suddenly stopped singing, and the wind didn't blow anymore. It seemed as if they all kept quiet just to hear what was going on with the brunette, it was like they all wanted to know why she was shouting _THIS_ time.

"SHUT UP POLKA! It's your fault anyway!" yelled back the raven haired boy looking at her with a very annoyed face.

"MY FAULT?! I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! IT'S YOUR OWN FAULT FOR BEING A PERVERT!!!!!!" She yelped.

"STOP SHOUTING YOU ARE GONNA MAKE MY HEAD EXPLODE!!"

"WELL IF IT DOES YOU DESERVE IT!!!"

"Tchk, you are so bothersome I'm not staying here to listen to your annoying voice anymore…" he replied, his face still not changing.

"WELL THEN GO AWAY NOBODY ASKED YOU TO STAY ANYWAY!" She yelped again.

"Whatever…" He started walking away. "Oh and by the way…" he turned around "You can't deny the fact that…" he smirked "…you were expecting me to do it." He kept on walking and disappeared.

"NA- NANA NNAA!!!!!! NATSUMEEEEEEEEE YOU HENTAAIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" And the volcano finally erupted.

Mikan ran back to her room and picked up her diary. Her face was completely red. She was so angry, yet deep inside a little happy. Her mind felt like spaghetti, everything was so mixed up; she didn't know what she was feeling anymore. She had to talk to someone, anyone, but she thought it was better not to tell people about it. So she decided to write it down on her diary. That way nobody would find out what had happened.

She couldn't let anyone know.

* * *

**(Mikan's diary)**

_March 27_

_**9:32 a.m**_

Dear Diary,

The day has only just started and I already want it to end! I can't believe what happened! That jerk Natsume!! I HATE HIM!! I REALLY DO!! HE'S SUCH A PERVERT! I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT HE DID! AND THEN HE BLAMES ME FOR HIS ACTIONS! SAYS IT WAS ME WHO WANTED HIM TO DO THAT! HE BEHAVES JUST LIKE A LITTLE KID!

You probably don't understand what I'm talking about so I'm gonna tell you what happened as detailed as I can.

So it was like 8 in the morning and I was already up, since it's Sunday and everyone was sleeping I decided to go watch the sakura blossoms for a while and wait for Hotaru and the others to wake up so we could all go to Central Town together.

I was just sitting under a tree relaxing, and suddenly I heard Natsume calling me.

"Oi Polka! what are you doing? That's _MY_ spot you're sitting on." (Cocky as always)

"Oh, I'm sorry Natsume I didn't know this spot right here belonged to you." (I even apologized to him for the sake of not fighting today!)

I stood up, and tried to start a conversation with him (I had nothing better to do anyway) so I said "Ne, Natsume… Can I ask you something?"

"Hmp… Whatever…" he answered with that cocky attitude of his, that's so annoying!

"It's about the assignment Narumi-sensei gave us… Umm are you writing anything on your diary?"

"Diaries are just for girls and gays, men don't have diaries." (Again the cocky attitude!)

"Oh I get it! So you don't write on the diary just so that people don't say you are gay! But it doesn't matter what other people say, right? As long as you're fine with it…" (I was just trying to be nice and help him so that he would write on his diary and Narumi-sensei wouldn't have to fail him!)

You know what he did?! For no reason he just got angry and out of the blue he pushed me against the tree and pinned me to it! And then he glared at me with those scary red eyes and said "IF YOU EVER DARE CALL ME GAY AGAIN POLKA-DOTS…" (Why did he get so pissed anyway I didn't say he was gay!)

"But that's not what I'm saying… I mean it's okay if you're gay and all, but you don't have to be scared that people may find out because you keep a diary. I mean if you ask me, I think it's far more suspicious if you refuse to do it, you should just take it like a man and write on the diary. After all it's just homework, it's not like you do it because you want to!" (You see I didn't even say anything bad! I just wanted to let him know I understood his feelings!)

And then he got really mad. "That's it polka-dots I've had it! I AM NOT GAY!"

"Then why won't you write on the diary? It's obvious you don't want people _**THINKING**_ you are gay but…" And he cut me off… (How rude!)

"FINE I'LL WRITE ON THE FREAKIN' DIARY HAPPY NOW?"

"Hmm, yeah but now you're just gonna do it because I told you, so it's not…"

And then it happened. I was cut off again. But this time, HE KISSED ME! I MEAN WHAT THE HELL!? I was completely caught off guard so I couldn't stop him! It wasn't a very long kiss anyway. But then again it seemed like it lasted so long.

His lips felt so soft, and when they crashed on mine I got this really weird feeling, like I had to push him away, but I didn't really want to. It was just a very short gentle kiss, but when he broke it off I think I felt rather disappointed. AGHHH!!!! WHAT THE HELL AM I SAYING!?!?

NO, OF COURSE I _**DO** _HAVE FEELINGS FOR NATSUME!

I MEAN DON'T! I _**DON'T** _HAVE FEELINGS FOR HIM!

HE'S A JERK AND A PERVERT! AND HE'S ALWAYS CALLING ME NAMES AND … AND…

AND I DON'T LIKE HIM PERIOD.

Anyway after he backed away a little he smirked. Oh! God I hate it when he smirks! He looks so evil, but in a really cute way. I MEAN NO!! JUST EVIL! HE LOOKS EVIL! NOT CUTE!! AGHHH! WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU TODAY MIKAN!?

And after he smirked he said "Is that proof enough for you little girl?" In that evil, teasing yet so seductive voice of his. AH!!! I MUST BE GOING OUT OF MY MIND AGAIN! PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER MIKAN!!!

So back to what I was saying, I was so dumbstruck by what had happened, I could only stare at him, with my eyes wide open, and my mouth agape. I wanted to say something, but I couldn't find the words to utter.

"Should I give you another one then?" Again the sexy- err teasing voice!!

And then I started yelling at him one insult after another and we started arguing. In the end he just left and the last thing he said to me was that I knew he was gonna do that! Has if saying that I could have stopped him if I'd wanted to but I didn't!!! THAT JERK!!

Ah, it's almost breakfast time. I'm going now. I'll see you later Diary-chan!

Ja ne!.

I _**DON'T**_ HAVE FEELINGS FOR NATSUME!

**

* * *

**

(Natsume's diary … err… journal…) 

_March 27_

_**3:46 p.m**_

NOT dear notebook thing that Naru makes me write on,

I can't believe I'm actually doing this. It's all that stupid Polka-dots' fault.

God I don't know how I always end up giving in and doing what she wants me to do.

Damn you Naru, you're gonna pay for this. It's all your fucking fault! It's not enough for you to be gay on your own… NO! You have to make us do this gay stuff and infect us with you gayness.

Anyway I guess now that I started writing on this crappy diary I should make it worth a while.

Damn it I even called it a "diary" how much _gayer_ can I get.

Well there is a reason behind me writing on this piece of junk. I guess I can write it down even though it's a pain in the ass…

Ugh… Where do I begin? …

**

* * *

A/N:** And that's it for chapter 2. I thought that if I also wrote down Natsume's diary too it would turn out too long and probably boring. So I'll leave it for chapter 3. He will tell the same story, he'll talk about what happened on Sunday morning, but from his point of view It might be completely different, I'll try to make it as funny as I can, taking into account that it's the same story at least I have to make it funny so that it isn't boring… 

Well hope you liked chapter 2. R&R please. Thanks to those who already reviewed, as long as there's someone who enjoys the story I'll keep writing.

See you again in chapter 3… "Sunday Morning According to HIM"

Ja ne minna-san! Happy holidays!


	3. Sunday Morning According to HIM

**A/N:** Hi! Chapter 3 is ready! Well I don't have much to say, just I hope you like it, and your reviews are really appreciated! So here goes chapter 3, the way Natsume saw what happened on Sunday morning. The chapter starts off with what Natsume did after he kissed Mikan, and it sort of develops from there. So anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter!

**Disclaimer:** Do I really have to do this in every chapter? Oh well, I don't own Gakuen Alice or its characters or anything related to it.

**Chapter 3. Sunday Morning According to HIM**

As he walked away from the screaming brunette, Natsume could only think of one thing, '_does she ever shut up?_' He could even hear her from his room. He covered his ears with his hands, trying to get his thoughts together, '_oh God what have I done?' _was the only coherent thing he could grasp.

Mikan was still standing exactly were he had left her about ten minutes ago, and she was still screaming her lungs out like there was no tomorrow. '_What the hell have I done?!'_ He thought again. "I'VE CONDEMNED MYSELF TO AN ETERNITY OF POLKA'S ANNOYING COMPLAINTS!!" He jumped onto the bed and covered his head with a pillow. He closed his eyes and smirked. While raising a hand to his lips and gently taping them with his index finger he thought '_It was well worth the trouble__…' _

After a while Mikan's voice couldn't be heard anymore, and once more peace returned to Alice Gakuen. Natsume seized the opportunity to go back to sleep.

When he finally woke up it was already 3 o'clock in the afternoon. He got out of bed, rubbed his eyes and looked through the window. The sky was a cloudy and it seemed as though it was about to rain, so he decided to stay in doors. He was looking around the room for something to do, when he saw his diary lying on the desk. He started at it for a second, and then he remembered what he'd told Mikan before kissing her and taking off. He took a deep long breath and sighed in defeat, '_Might as well…' _he thought.

He sat down on the chair, opened the diary "I can't believe I'm actually doing this…" he said as he wrote down the exact same words on the notebook. '_Damn it, I'm becoming a puss__y, all because of that asshole Naru!'

* * *

_

**(Natsume's diary…**** Yup! His ****DIARY!)**

_March 27_

_**3:49 p.m**_

Ugh… Where do I begin? … (A/N: Here's where I left off in chapter 2…)

Like any other Sunday morning I was already up even though it was only 8 o'clock. I was walking around the school grounds, I wasn't bothering anyone, cause there was no one to bother. I started heading to my usual relaxing spot under the sakura tree and as I approached my destination, God decided that I needed to be punished no reason in particular. And what better way to do it than sending the most bothersome person in the whole world to disturb my peace? (Way to go God, you really outdid yourself)

I walked closer and as politely as I could I asked her to leave because she was in my spot. And even though I tried my best to sound nice, (It's just that I really didn't feel like hearing her annoying screaming voice) she just looked at me and said something like "I'm _**SO TERRIBLY**_ sorry Natsume I didn't know **this spot right here** belonged to _**YOU**_." With that mocking sarcastic tone she always uses. That pisses off me so much!

So then she just stood up, and right when I thought she was gonna leave me well enough alone, God decided I hadn't been punished enough for one day. She turned to look at me and with that stupid, mocking smile of hers she asked "Ne ne Natsume… Are you writing on your diary?" and then she giggled.

It just wasn't enough for her to call me gay during class, (yes she called me gay during Naru's class) she has to come to me and say it to my face again, just because.

I mean she didn't really say it, she implied it, but it was obvious what she really meant with those words. And what made it even worse was that she was trying to play dumb.

As calmly and dryly as I could I told her I wasn't, just a plain answer to make her shut up and go away. But she couldn't just leave me alone like that, no sir; after all it is Polka-dots we are talking about, the most irritating person in the world. And then she said something that REALLY pissed me off, something like "Oh I get it! So you don't write on the diary just so that people don't _realize_ you are gay! But it doesn't matter if they do, right? As long as you're comfortable with it…" and she giggled again.

No one and I mean **NO ONE**, laughs at Hyuuga Natsume without consequences, especially **NOT **that stupid Polka. Knowing that she just doesn't understand with words, I pushed her against the tree, and placed both of my hands at either side of her face so that she couldn't break lose. (The first time in my life I actually didn't want her to go away, and it was the one time she was annoying me the most, how ironic.)

So yeah, I was pretty pissed, and wasn't intending on hiding it anymore. I wasn't planning to hit her or anything; I just wanted to scare her a little. I warned her to stop calling me gay, and then she blabbed something about how she thought it was okay if I was gay and how she found it more suspicious that I refused to write on the diary, according to her it made me look gayer saying that I wouldn't do it _because it's a gay thing._

Somewhere along those lines I lost track of her words. I spaced out for a while thinking about why it made me so mad that _she_ called me gay. I really didn't figure it out in the end. Maybe it's because she's the first person to mess with me so boldly, or perhaps it's that I care about what she thinks about me… But that can't be it, why would _**I**_ care about what _**SHE **_thinks?

She went on saying a bunch of things I really didn't hear, but what caught my attention was when she said the phrase "It's obvious you don't want people _**KNOWING **_you're gay but…"

THAT DID IT! With that she took the last bit of patience I had left. I really felt like punching her right there, but somehow my conscience got the best of me and I couldn't. Instead I said the stupidest thing I could ever say. I gave in, and told her I would write on this piece of shit diary. That's the reason why I'm doing it, **NOT** because I want to.

After I said that she smiled, but not the mocking smile, no, this one was different, she seemed pleased that I'd said that, I couldn't help but think that she was rather cute at the time (Gosh, I really am becoming a sissy).

Then she said something again, I didn't quite catch it, I was lost thinking her lips looked so soft. And I don't really know what the hell took over me back then, but suddenly it seemed like my body just moved on its own, and I kissed her. What shocked me the most was that she didn't push me away; I wasn't even forcing her or anything. Her lips were softer than they looked, I'll give you that much, and in all honesty I didn't want to break it off, but I had to in the end so as not to ruin my reputation.

So I had to think of an excuse quickly, I couldn't just tell her I kissed her because I thought her lips looked so tempting. So I pulled myself together as fast as I could and back to my normal cocky attitude and blabbed some nonsense I don't really remember.

She was just silent for a moment, I really thought that for the first time in her life she was just gonna be quiet, but I had to destroy the peace and say something stupid that made her really angry and her face turned completely red. She started shouting like she always does, and since I already knew she wasn't about to shut up I took off and left her there screaming to no one in particular.

Damn it I got really carried away writing on this thing. Well I guess it's better that I write it here instead of telling someone.

God damn you Polka-dots! Why is it that it always ends up with me doing what you want me to do? It's so irritating, I mean I know I'm not gay I have nothing to prove to anyone, let alone her!

I AM** NOT **GAY!!!

I DON'T LIKE GUYS!!

I LIKE _**MIKAN**_!!

I MEAN GIRLS!!

Damn you piece of shit Naru! You and your piece of shit diary are making me go insane! I better stop this nonsense before it's too late for me.

I _**DON'T**_ LIKE MIKAN!

* * *

Natsume got up from the chair picked up the diary and slammed it against the wall opposite to him. '_I don't!' _he thought as he stared through the window again. "I DON'T!" he repeated as an image of the brunette's smiling face crossed his mind.

He turned around and saw the diary lying against the wall half open. "I DON'T DAMN IT!!!" he screamed and started heading towards the exit. '_I just need to get some fresh air and get my thoughts together, that's all…' _he openedthe door. Only one thought repeated once and again in his head '_I don't…' _

He slammed the door as he left, and as he walked away, he failed to notice Hotaru holding a camera in her hand, with sparks shining in her eyes and a very suspicious smile, standing right behind him…

* * *

**A/N:** And that's it for chapter 3, the way Natsume saw it.I hope you liked it. I re-read it so many times to check that it wasn't to OOC that I have practically memorized it all. I really really hope it's not OOC. And thanks to all those who review the story so far!

**ruin****princess**

**sakura-hime18**

**SpotedLeaf**

**xXxSasukefangirlxXx**

**jhugrae**

**arya21**

**Miksume**

**halftherainbow7**

**Karin Ochibi-chan**

I really appreciate it you guys. I'll see you again in chapter 4…

Ja ne!


	4. Unspoken Feelings

**A/N:** Wow… Chapter 4 already, huh? Well I don't really know what to say about it hehe… Um I wanna thank all of you who read my story and review it; I think your support is what makes me want to go on writing this. I mean I thought it was all over after I finished writing chapter 1, I guess not. Okay so I didn't really plan this chapter at all before writing it, I just started making up everything on the spot, as a matter of fact this author's note as been written before writing the actual chapter itself. So that's one of the reasons why I don't know what to say about the chapter, because I haven't actually written it yet. You probably wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't said anything, but I find it more amusing this way. So anyway I don't want to bore anymore so I'll just start with chapter 4 at once. Let's see what comes out of it shall we?

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Gakuen Alice. If I ever do I'll add this fic as part of the story to let you guys know.

**Chapter 4.**** Unspoken feelings.**

Natsume walked aimlessly around the school grounds, trying to get a certain brunette out of his head. He must have repeated the words '_I don't'_ like a thousand times in his mind, before he actually got bored of them. Well obviously, a person can only say the same thing a number of times until it ceases making any sense at all. For Natsume it was exactly nine hundred and ninety-seven times (yeah he'd been counting).

When he finally got tired of walking, (must have been one hell of a walk if he had time to say 'I don't' about one thousand times) he sat down on a nearby bench, and stared at night the sky, grey clouds still covering it. He looked around every once In a while, but there was no one to be seen. Considering that it was probably dinner time already and it was about to rain, it wasn't such a strange thing.

He sighed, what the hell was he waiting for anyway? '_Like she would come here__… __I must be the last person she wants to see right now anyway…__'_ A small chuckle escaped his mouth as he remembered Mikan's face the moment after he kissed her. Her deep chocolate eyes wide open in surprise, her soft lips looking even softer than they did before, and the small tint of red on her cheeks, which he probably wouldn't have noticed if his gaze hadn't been fixed on her mouth.

He shook is head as if that would help him shake off his thoughts. '_I don't…'_ (Nine hundred and ninety-eight), he thought once again as he stared back at the sky. Who the hell was he kidding? He could say it a million times if he wanted to but there was no way that he could fool anyone, let alone himself.

He had given in many times before when it came to Mikan, but he was not about to give in this time. '_I don't!' _(Nine hundred and ninety-nine), he repeated again in a desperate attempt to make himself believe those words.

He stood up. '_I __won't…' _(And a thous- huh?), he thought this time. A raindrop fell on his face and ran down his cheek.

Rain started pouring down. Natsume just stood there; he didn't want to go back, not yet at least. He liked the feeling of the raindrops falling over him, it somehow made him feel at ease, as if all of his worries were washed away.

"Natsume!" he heard someone call his name, a very gentle, worried voice. "What are you doing standing under the rain? You'll catch a cold you know?" The crimson-eyed boy turned around to see who was calling him.

"Ruka…" was the only thing he answered. (A/N: I bet you were hoping it was Mikan right? I was too, but the first name that popped into my head was Ruka, not Mikan. Told you I was making it up on the spot!)

"What happened? What are you doing here? Is something the matter?" his friend asked very concerned.

"No…" he answered plainly. "And stop asking so many questions, it's none of your business…" The blonde looked at him with a very puzzled face. Natsume just glared at him "I'm heading back…"

"Ja… I'll go with-"

"DON'T!" he growled at him. "Don't come with me…" he said in a calmer tone, and started walking away.

'_Natsume_…' He thought as he watched his friend's retreating figure until it vanished. He began walking back to his room too. He was worried about Natsume, but he thought it was better to leave him be for a while.

When he got to his room Natsume dropped all his wet clothes on the floor and wrapped a towel around his waist, he didn't even bother to dry himself. His soaked raven hair fell on his face covering his eyes, water dripping from his bangs. He sat on the edge of his bed. The rain had already stopped and the clouds were gone, unveiling a beautiful full moon. He just sat there, staring at the floor, his head resting on one of his hands; he really did look like a god. His damp, perfect figure bathed by the moonlight was enough to take any girl's (and why not some guys') breath away. No wonder he even had a fan-club entirely devoted to worship him.

His eyes started drifting around the dim room until he noticed something was missing. His eyes widened in shock and he gasped. He jumped off the bed and quickly turned the lights on. He scanned the room with his eyes '_Nai…' _(A/N: Meaning it's not there…) he thought as he rushed to the desk, '_Nai!' _He opened the drawers '_Nai nai nai!' _He checked every single corner of the room, he even checked in the bathroom, but the result was the same. "NAI!" he shouted. (A/N: You've probably guessed it by now…) His diary was nowhere to be found. Where the hell could it be? Had somebody taken it? '_If so I'm gonna make sure that person experiences hell on earth…' _

He felt something hit his foot and then heard a small -thud- sound. His gaze immediately lowered to see what had hit him. Right next to him he saw a little mechanical turtle turned upside down, still moving its legs.

He picked it up, and noticed the envelope in the tiny robot's mouth. '_Imai!' _he clenched his teeth and muttered something like "That witch…" (Or bitch, could have been either, it was really hard to tell since he said it so low)

He took the letter from the turtle's mouth, after which he proceeded to smash the robot against the wall, and read the letter:

"_Hyuuga,_

_I have your diary. _

_I'm not planning to black-mail you or anything. That is if you do exactly as I tell you. _(A/N: Correct me if I'm mistaken but… Isn't that black-mailing:P hehehe just kidding :D)

_Meet me tomorrow __at 5 o'clock sharp in the northern woods and we'll discuss business._

_Don't be late or else._

_-Imai Hotaru"_

She sure was a straight to the point girl. But what could he do about it? She had his diary, she had him grabbed by the… Well, you get the picture. He cursed under his breath a couple of times. He had to get that notebook back or he would be seriously screwed. '_Why the hell did I have to write on that fucking thing? I'm the world's biggest asshole.' _

He could just go after her and try to retrieve it by force, but knowing the raven-haired inventor; she probably had already hidden it in some unimaginable place and made hundreds of copies just in case something _unexpected _happened.

He'd just have to do as she said for now. What the hell could she possibly want from _him_ anyway? He dived into his bed and tried to get some sleep.

It was already five in the morning, Natsume was still lying on his bed, and he hadn't slept at all. The sun was starting to rise, and he had class in about two hours, so he decided to take a shower and get ready for school. At about half past six he was all set.

It was still too early to head for the classroom, so he went outside to take a walk and clear his head. The lack of sleep started getting to him; he sat down on _his_ spot and rubbed his eyes. The spring breeze blew gently swaying his raven locks, and without noticing he fell asleep.

Mikan was on her way to class when she noticed Natsume sitting under the sakura tree. After five years in Alice Gakuen (and almost being degraded to a no-star again by Jinno-sensei for being late) she had gotten pretty used to waking up early. The brunette watched him for a while '_He looks really cute when he's asleep…' _A small blush formed on her cheeks, her hand raised to touch her lower lip. She slowly approached the sleeping boy trying not to make any sound.

She knelt down beside him and inspected his features carefully. Her right hand suddenly started moving on its own and reached out to caress his cheek. Natsume's eyes immediately opened and stared straight into hers. Mikan was taken aback as his hand quickly slapped away hers.

"Who the hell said you could touch me Polka-dots?" he snapped at her.

"Um I wasn't… I mean I'm…" her hands started shaking; she didn't know what to say.

Natsume stood up and pushed her down when she tried to get up too. "Don't you ever come close to me again, get it you ugly?" he glared at her. The wild look in his ruby eyes sent shivers down her spine, it really scared her to see him act like that.

He could see tears starting to form in her chocolate pools. He hated to see her hurt, especially if it was him who had hurt her, but he wasn't about to give in now. He turned around and walked away, he could hear her sobbing. He clenched his fists and kept on walking.

Natsume skipped class that day; he went straight to the northern woods where he was supposed to meet Hotaru.

As for Mikan, she ignored everyone who talked to her, not on purpose of course; she was just lost in thought, so she didn't really notice her friends greeting her. She just went straight to her seat and took out her diary and started writing.

Hotaru just looked at her best friend from the corner of her eye without saying anything. Ruka on the other hand wasn't as good at concealing his feelings. He was too worried about Mikan.

"More than a normal friend should…" commented one of the students.

Well of course he worried more than a normal friend. To him the nullifier wasn't _just a friend._ She was the girl he'd had a crush on ever since he was ten years old. Probably every single person at Alice Gakuen had noticed except for the girl in question, but Ruka couldn't bring himself to tell her how he really felt. He knew very well about Natsume's feelings for her, even though Natsume would always deny it, it was obvious he liked Mikan too.

That's why he couldn't confess his love, for his best friend's sake. Although lately he'd been telling himself that if the fire-caster didn't make a move soon, he would.

And seeing how it was probably Natsume's fault that Mikan was acting this way, he made up his mind. Today was the day he would tell her.

He built up all the courage he could, he walked up to the brunette and said "A- ano… Sakura... can we talk about something after class?"

Mikan raised her head, looked at the blonde boy and nodded. Her usual smiling face wasn't there, and her eyes seemed lifeless.

"I'll meet you in the northern woods then?" he asked with a smile on his cute face.

The girl turned her gaze back to her diary, nodded once again and kept on writing. Jinno-sensei entered the classroom and everyone took their seats. Mikan just didn't care and carried on with what she was doing.

* * *

**(Mikan's diary)**

_March 28_

_**8:03 a.m**_

What's happening to Natsume? Why is he suddenly acting so weird?

Maybe I'm just over reacting. It's just that after what happened yesterday, I haven't been able to get him out of my mind.

Maybe he's just being his normal self and I'm just exaggerating.

No, he's really acting differently today. He didn't even show up to class. Besides every time he skips school Ruka-pyon goes with him.

Is he avoiding me? What did I do to him? He's the one who kissed me! I should be the one to be angry not him!

Why do I keep thinking about it? I mean it was just a meaningless kiss. It's not like I like him or anything.

And even if I did, he most certainly hates me for no particular reason.

I want to talk to him and find out why he's acting this weird. But he'll probably just get mad at me and walk away like he always does.

I wish I could know what he's thinking. Why does he always have to be secretive and keep everything to himself? Why can't he just trust me?

Eh? Ruka-pyon just said he wants to talk to me about something… What could it be?

Meet him after class in the northern woods? Why can't he just say it now?

Anyway Jinno-sensei just came in. I'd better pay attention if I don't want him to give me detention or something.

* * *

**A/N:** Well I'll just leave chapter 4 up to there. It turned out longer than I expected. I think it is way more different than the previous chapters. I don't know why it just gives me that impression. I'm gonna re-read it know and check for mistakes or OOCness and stuff like that. I haven't fully read it myself yet. I don't know if I like it so much though. Maybe it's just my impression. I hope you like it anyway, and I added Ruka to the NxM formula because it just seemed like there would be nothing to write about later on. Forgive me if it's a crappy chapter. This writing thing turned out to be harder than I thought it would be! Thanks for reviewing! 

Ja ne minna-san!


	5. Because I'm in Love With You

**A/N: **Hi minna! How are you guys doing? I'm sorry I didn't update the past couple of days; I wanted to make chapter 5 special, cause it's um… I don't know… "Chapter 5" sounds more special than others. Okay now I'm just blabbing nonsense, don't mind me.

So I just wanted to wish everyone a **MERRY CHRISTMAS**!! This new chapter is my present to you all! Since it's the only one I can give you, I made it longer, and ¿better? (That's for you to decide) Thank you all for reviewing and supporting my story so far! It's for you guys that I keep on writing.

**Karin ****Ochibi-chan**

**xXxSasukefangirlxXx**

**InvictusLass**

**dominiqueanne**

**halftherainbow7**

**esther3193**

**Ellykun**

**Miksume**

**arya21**

**yue679**

**NatsumeMikan**

**jhugrae**

**SpotedLeaf**

**Fire101**

**sakura-hime18**

**ruin**** princess**

Oh and I'll dedicate this chapter especially to **ruin princess **cause it's her birthday today! So **HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! **Hope you have many more! Cookies for you!

That being said, umm enjoy it (it's not a Christmas special or anything cause if you paid attention while you read, you'd know it's March for them.) Maybe I should write a Christmas one-shot or something hmmm… Depends on my mood for the next couple of days, cause (I'm not gonna lie to you) I wrote this chapter on December 22nd so it's been stored in my laptop for a while, I just didn't want to upload it before (I'm so mean xD).

Anyway here goes chapter 5… What's going to happen? Is Ruka finally gonna tell Mikan how he really feels? What does Hotaru want from Natsume? Let's find out…

**Disclaimer:** Anyone as tired of the phrase "I don't" as much as I am say aye! (Well at least I got the thousand time!) Yeah well, I wouldn't be putting in a disclaimer if I did own Gakuen Alice so…

**Chapter 5.**** Because I'm in Love ****With**** You.**

After hearing Ruka saying those three words to her he took a step back and accidentally stepped on a stick, causing both Mikan and his best friend to turn around and stare at him. Of course he wasn't crying, after all it's Natsume we're talking about, but in his eyes you could see all the sadness in the world.

For the first time in his life he was really hurt, he felt betrayed, helpless. He just stood there in shock, he wanted to run away, but his legs just wouldn't move. He held on to the branch of a tree for support, in case his body failed him and stumbled down.

He couldn't understand why he felt that way. He knew from the very beginning this was going to happen, eventually. He had been preparing himself for this moment for the past five years. But now that it was finally happening he couldn't think straight anymore.

Mikan stared at him, her eyes filled with tears. What was he doing here? Had he heard everything? Why wasn't he saying anything? '_Please say something Natsume! Insult me, get mad at me, but don't just keep quiet…' _she thought. His silence was far worse than any words he could say, she was fully aware of that. She couldn't take his silences, they hardly ever meant any good.

Ruka couldn't speak either. He had finally built up the courage to say the three words he was dying to tell her for five years, and now this happened. And why was he just standing there looking at them and not moving? Everything suddenly made sense to him when he saw the look on his best friend's eyes. The fact that Natsume always pushed Mikan away and denied he had feelings for her, it wasn't because of his pride. '_He did it for me…' _And then he remembered what he'd told Mikan during the Alice festival five years ago…

* * *

_**-**__**Flashback**__**-**_

Mikan and Ruka are walking around school and talking about Natsume after he spoiled Anna's cake when he noticed it was rotten. (A/N: This actually happens on episode 18. I didn't make it up… But I thought it was the perfect thing to put in here…)

"Even if that meant everyone would hate him? Natsume thinks about things that much?" asks the brunette very amazed.

"He does… Natsume is really a nice person…" explains the blonde boy. [… "He does a lot of things that people misunderstand, but Natsume won't ever abandon anyone he considers a friend, and he's always thinking of other people, not himself. **He always chooses a way in which he gets hurt instead of others.** Natsume is…"

_**-End of flashback.-

* * *

**_

How could he have been so blind? Why didn't he notice this before? It was right there under his nose and yet he didn't realize… or maybe he didn't want to. Maybe he had been running away from the truth all this time.

Hotaru watched the whole scene quietly from behind, unnoticed. She didn't want to get caught up in this mess. It took a while before Mikan realized she was there. '_Hotaru? What is she doing here alone with Natsume? It can't be…'_ Of course she misunderstood, who wouldn't? She could feel her heart beating rapidly, it felt as if it were about to burst out of her chest.

Mikan couldn't take it anymore. This silence was killing her. She didn't really know how much time they'd been just standing there staring at each other (nor did she care) but she just couldn't keep quiet anymore. She took a deep breath.

"I'll just tell you this before you jump into stupid conclusions like you always do…" Hotaru beat her to it "The only reason I'm here is because-"

Natsume didn't let her finish, before she could speak another word he skillfully wrapped a hand around her waist, and stood in front of her to prevent the other two from seeing what he was about to do. He grabbed her neck with his free hand and whispered into her ear so that Mikan and Ruka wouldn't hear "_If you say another word I'm really going to kill you, and I'm not fucking around…"_ he tightened his grip and said out loud "She's with me, I told her to come so that we could have some privacy, but now that you guys are here we're going somewhere else."

Mikan couldn't hold back her tears anymore; she had to get out of there, fast. She didn't care where she was going; she just had to get away from everything. She ran as fast as her legs would carry her.

Ruka looked at his best friend. Was he bluffing again? Why would Imai help him with this if it was a lie? No, it didn't matter now. He had to after the brunette; he couldn't just leave her alone.

When he couldn't hear Ruka's footsteps anymore, Natsume released the girl. She was panting, although her expression never changed. "What was that all about?" she asked in her usual monotonous voice.

"None of your business…" he said putting his hands in his pockets and walking off.

"Wait… Don't you want your diary back?" she asked.

"I don't care anymore…" he turned around his bangs covering his eyes "But let me warn you this, if either of them find out about what it says there-."

"Here you can have it back…" she said while handing the notebook to him. "I know when a joke has gone to far… And frankly I don't want to drag myself further into this mess…"

"Hmph… Whatever…" he said as he left.

Mikan just kept running away; even though she knew nobody was gonna follow her. The tears were flowing from her eyes like streams, she couldn't stop them. She wanted to disappear for the face of earth. Out of all the people in the world, why Hotaru? Why her best friend? '_Why would you betray me like that?'_

Wait, betray? What was she thinking? It wasn't like Natsume was her boyfriend or anything. She hadn't even ever said she liked him, on the contrary she always told everyone she hated him. But deep inside she knew that wasn't true. Had no one else realized? Maybe nobody really cared enough to understand her. She started to wonder if they actually ever cared at all.

She didn't notice when she got to her room. It didn't matter though. She locked the door because she didn't want to see anyone right now. Her eyes were puffy and red from all the crying, but tears didn't flow anymore, she probably had already run out of those. She covered her face with a pillow and yelled as loud as she could. Mikan walked up to her desk and sat down, she did the only thing she could do right now, write.

* * *

**(Mikan's diary)**

_March 28_

_**5:43 p.m**_

He probably never liked me at all. I only _said_ I hated him, but he really _meant_ it. I don't know why I'm so surprised, who could like an ugly, stupid, childish girl like me?

I'm starting to think nobody really cares about me, not even Hotaru. She's supposed to be my best friend, and yet she didn't even realize how I felt for him. I know I'm asking for too much, I know the world doesn't revolve around me, but I was sure she knew.

Maybe she did and only decided to ignore me and go for it. Yeah, that must be it, after all who cares about stupid Mikan and her stupid problems?

They are probably having a lot of fun now, laughing about stupid Mikan and how stupid she was for ever trusting them.

What else does it matter now… I should be happy for them, if they found happiness together why should I come between them?

[-Tear drops start falling on the diary-

I just can't help but feeling miserable. All this time they have just been toying with me, all of them. None of them ever took me seriously.

Perhaps… they'd be better off without me around. Not having to bother anymore with stupid Mikan, they'll probably be glad, won't they? I owe them that much… I've troubled all of them for so long, this is the only thing I can do for them now… At least this way they will be happy.

I guess this is it then… So much happened this last couple of days. I'm sorry I won't be writing anymore… I wish it hadn't turn out like this, but it can't be helped right?

No turning back now. I have to go through this until the bitter end.

If only one of them had cared… (A/N: Yeah she omitted Ruka for some reason… Perhaps she blocked that memory? Who Knows?)

Sayonara Diary-chan… Looks like I won't be seeing you again… Thanks for always keeping stupid Mikan's complaints…

* * *

Mikan stood up, not minding to hide the diary in its usual place; she opened the door and left the room. She wasn't thinking anything anymore. Her mind was completely blank. As she walked down the hall, the world seemed to come crushing down around her. Nothing really mattered anymore.

Ruka came rushing into the empty room some minutes after. He looked around but the brunette wasn't there. He noticed the diary lying on the desk, open. He knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't help it, he wanted to know if she had written anything about him.

He approached the notebook and started reading the last entry. His blue eyes widened and his hands started shaking as he read on. '_Better off without her? She can't be planning to…' _he grabbed the diary and ran out of the room. He had to find her quickly before she did something stupid. His heart was broken after reading the diary; she hadn't even taken him into account… '_She probably won't listen to me even if I find her…'_ although it hurt him to admit it, he needed help, Natsume's help.

* * *

**(Natsume's diary)**

I can't believe I'm gonna say this but thank god I got this crap back. If Ruka or Polka found out about what I wrote… They would have known I was bluffing right away.

I can't let them know, ever… I don't wanna come in between them so I had to t-

* * *

Ruka suddenly burst into the room, he was panting really hard.

"Ruka what's going on?"

The blonde boy didn't say anything, he threw Mikan's diary at Natsume.

"What's this?" the crimson eyed teen asked really confused.

"Read it..." he answered catching his breath.

He had only read through the first two entries (A/N: The ones of chapters 1 and 2) when he looked at his friend and said "This is… I can explain… this isn't…"

Ruka approached to him, not understanding what he was talking about. What was there to explain? He quickly read what his friend was reading. His heart shattered into a million pieces. He shook his head; this wasn't the time for this!

"I'm not talking about that!" he turned the page "Read this"

"WHAT?!" Natsume shouted jumping off the chair as he read "We've gotta find her! What the hell is she thinking? She can't-." and then it hit him. "It's my fault…" he said slowly. "Ruka I'm…"

"Don't worry, I know…" he looked at him pretending a smile "I know what you were trying to do but… she doesn't love me Natsume… we both know that…"

"Ruka I-."

"I'll go tell Imai, you find her and explain everything to her before it's too late…"

"Won't you listen to me Ruka?! I WANT YOU TO KNO-." he wanted to make things clear to him but he kept interrupting.

"ENOUGH! I already said I get it! There's no need or time for explanations right now! Let's go, we can talk later!" So he said; truth was he didn't want to know for sure if he was right or not, he didn't want to be the one at fault for everything that was happening.

Without saying another word, Natsume nodded and they both rushed out of the room.

He searched high and low for her. The kitchen, the classrooms, the dorms, the girls' bathroom, but she was nowhere to be found. "Damn it where are you?!" he just kept running around the school trying to find her.

He entered the northern woods; it was the only place he hadn't searched yet. It was already dark; he wouldn't be able to find her like this, but he didn't care, he just kept running forward. '_Even if you were in a darker place, a place with no light… I'd come to find you. Even if you told me not to...' (_A/N: This is also said in episode 18, a little different, but I had to adapt it!) '_Because when I was in the same situation you came to save me… You took me out of the darkness, and now it's my turn to save you… Even if it costs me my life!' _

It was useless, and what was he gonna say to her if he found her? Would she believe him and forget everything he did to her? No, this wasn't the time to be worrying about such trivial matters, first he had to stop her from doing something stupid, and when she was safe he could worry about explanations and stuff like that. "DAMN IT WHERE ARE YOU!? ANSWER ME!!!" he shouted as hard as he could.

He could see a clearing ahead, the place where the lake was. '_She wouldn't…' _he started running faster. When he reached it, he saw a girl, half of her body covered by the water. He didn't need to get closer to know who it was; even though she wasn't wearing her pig-tails he knew it was her.

"MIKAN STOP!" he yelled as he dashed in front of her, he was panting really hard. "YOU IDIOT!" he slapped her (A/N: YES! _HE _slapped _HER_. It's just for dramatic effect…) "What exactly are you trying to do!?" he was really angry, desperate, tired, worried, relieved, his emotions were so mixed up he didn't know what he was feeling anymore. Her hazel eyes widened and her hand rose to touch her swollen cheek. He grabbed her shirt and started shaking her furiously "Are you trying to kill yourself?! OPEN YOUR EYES YOU MORON!!" he was shouting really hard, she just looked away.

"Why did you come to find me?" she said in a very low voice, tears in her eyes. His grip on her clothes tightened, but he wasn't shaking her anymore.

"Because…" he looked down and covered his ruby orbs with his bangs. "I- I was worried about you Mikan…"

"Just leave me alone… I don't want your pity; go back to your beloved Hotaru to laugh at my stupidity like you always do!" she didn't turn to look at him, she couldn't.

"Huh? What are you talking about?! That was just-." he had forgotten everything about that. He hadn't explained anything to her yet.

"Just go already!" she yelled.

"No…" he answered plainly.

"I'm telling you to go! It's not like you care what happens to me!" tears started flowing from her eyes, but she still wouldn't turn to look at him.

"And I'm telling you I won't go! Do you think I would have come all the way here if I didn't care about what happened to you?!" he shook her once to get her attention. "Ruka, Imai, and probably all the others are now out there trying to find you! Do you really believe it's because they don't care?!" Mikan didn't say a word, she just listened quietly. "They would never forgive me if I left you here and something bad happened to you!"

"…"

"And more importantly…" he paused "I WOULD NEVER BE ABLE TO FORGIVE MYSELF IF SOMETHING HAPPENED TO YOU AND I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING TO PREVENT IT!" he said almost shouting again.

"…" She didn't know what to say. Why was he doing this? Didn't he hate her?

"You once told me that there where still a lot of things you wanted to do at the Academy… Isn't it still like that?" he said in a very soft voice.

"I- I'm…" she finally turned around to look at him. She was really surprised when she saw that he was smiling. Not smirking, but smiling, a real, comforting, very warm smile.

"Let's go back to the academy…" he moved his hands to wrap them around her body, catching her in a very tight embrace and whispered in her ear "…together."

"Why do you care if anything happens to me?" she couldn't stop crying although she wanted to.

"Because -." And very lowly he whispered "Because I'm in love with you…"

She smiled, and hugged him back. "But, what about Hotaru?" her voice trembled a little when she said this.

"What about her?" he asked plainly.

"Don't you like her?" her whole body trembled this time.

"Of course not… That was just a lie…" he said as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"But, why would you lie about th-."

Before she could say another word Natsume's lips locked on to hers. She was so surprised she gasped, and he took this opportunity to explore deeper into her mouth with his tongue. Almost instinctively Mikan followed, slowly closing her eyes, savoring every second of this. Heaven was the only word they could think of to describe the moment. Mikan felt her whole body becoming weak, her legs couldn't hold her weight anymore, but she didn't want to let go of him.

Noticing how she seemed to be falling down he lowered his hands to her waist and pulled her up, her feet no longer touching the ground, he wasn't about to let her go now of all times. She felt one of his hands slowly lowering from her waist to her thigh; she didn't seem to mind, so he just left it there. Taking advantage of the moment, she did something she had been willing to do for a while. Both of her hands rose, one to caress his cheek, and the other one started playing with his raven hair, making it messier than it usually was.

And for as long as that kiss lasted the rest of the world didn't seem to matter, and all of the pain they'd been through the last couple of days seemed to disappear.

"Such a cute Kodak moment…" said Hotaru, hiding behind a bush taking picture after picture of the happy couple. Ruka who was there with her looked away. "Oh come on, don't be a crybaby Nogi, you knew about this from the very beginning. It's nothing new…"

"Yeah, I know but…" Hotaru started pointing her camera at him and -snap- taking pictures.

"Ruka-kun's melancholic face will surely sell a lot…" she said smirking. He wasn't fighting back at all, so not funny. "What would you do if I tell you that I know a girl who likes you a lot?"

"Probably one of those girls from the fan club, so what?" his face still not changing.

"No, I don't mean them…" she stopped taking pictures and lowered her camera. Her face suddenly turned very serious and her eyes met his.

"Wh- who do you mean then?" he asked really puzzled.

"Do you really want to know?" she said putting her camera away. "It's gonna cost you 300 rabbits." She extended her hand signaling him to pay up.

"Imai!" he said a little annoyed. She slowly stood up and answered "If you don't want to pay up then I'm not telling you…" and started walking away. He was about to grab her hand when she started to run away. "You're gonna have to be faster than that if you want to catch me!"

He quickly stood up and started chasing after her "Wait up Imai! Tell me!" he shouted as he followed her "Imai!" she turned to look at him but without stopping. And then he realized she was… It couldn't be… was she? LAUGHING?! Imai Hotaru, the ice queen LAUGHING??!! He couldn't help but laugh along, ever since they were kids he chased after her like this, but he'd never noticed how much fun it was. It made him forget about Mikan, and the confession, and Natsume for a while. It really didn't matter why he was chasing her anymore '_I'm gonna get you eventually… You just wait and see…'

* * *

_

**A/N: **I can't believe it, but while I was writing I felt so sorry for Ruka that I had to extend the chapter a little further just so that he wouldn't end up so miserably. But I couldn't have Hotaru confessing her love or anything, because it would be TOO weird, plus Ruka had just been heartbroken and all, it just didn't fit.

Anyway I hope you liked it. OH! I just wanna add right now something really important that I couldn't add before because I didn't want to spoil the moment with an author's note!

The conversation between Mikan and Natsume at the lake is as a matter of fact taken from episode 15 when Natsume is kidnapped by Reo. Of course I adapted it and yes, I inverted the roles, but I simply had to… It's not completely copied or anything!

Yes some things are VERY OOC … But I just wanted to make Mikan act a little like Natsume, and make Natsume act a little like Mikan, so that they understand each other's feelings a little better.

And in the end I didn't write the Christmas one-shot… There'll probably be hundreds up today so… A New Year one maybe? We'll see…

ANYWAY! Again **MERRY CHRISTMAS MINNA!!! **I hope you all got lots of presents and ate a lot of delicious food!

Happy birthday to **ruin princess**!! TANJOBI OMEDETO!!

See you all next time!

Ja ne! MERRY CHRISTMAS!


End file.
